Leaving aside Tahbilk, whose Marsanne is made in much the same way that classic long-term Hunter semillon is, Australians have only limited exposure to home-grown marsanne fashioned in a way that’s clearly inspired by the finest from the northern Rhone. This vacuum basically means we don’t really understand the potential within the variety. Here’s the solution: to discover the creaminess, fragrance, plushness, drive and savoury qualities of this exceptional grape, go get yourself a bottle of Dave Powell’s Neldner Road Steinborner Marsanne 2023. At $50 it’s not an everyday wine, but it shoots the lights out of most chardonnays at a similar price. Hope to have it in the store shortly!